Fantasy football roster management requires making tough decisions throughout the season. Sometimes players who seemed like solid picks become dead weight due to injuries, role changes, or simply being outplayed by teammates. Knowing when to cut ties with underperforming assets can make the difference between a championship run and missing the playoffs entirely. Here are the players you should consider dropping this week to free up valuable roster space.
James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
Rostered: 97%
A most unfortunate end for one of the NFL’s true good guys. James Conner is a player I didn’t embrace until very late in his career. He was always so much better than I gave him credit for. He was also somewhat unfairly labeled injury-prone.
Well, Conner proved the haters correct with what is very obviously a freak injury. Conner’s leg got trapped under him on a tackle, and he destroyed his ankle. It took mere hours for Adam Schefter to report that Conner was set to undergo surgery and his season was over.
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It will likely take a couple of weeks before Conner’s roster percentage dips low enough to be removed from the cut list. For the worst reason possible, though, he needs to be led go.
Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns
Rostered: 53%
Even though Dylan Sampson is better than Jerome Ford and would be the back-to-roster in Cleveland without Quinshon Judkins, he’s the odd man out while Judkins is leading the charge.
The Browns’ other rookie played all of five snaps against the Green Bay Packers. Judkins is the clear RB1 and looks like an every-week must-start RB2. Jerome Ford is not startable, but he’s the most trusted back in pass protection, which keeps him on the field. Sampson has no role.
At this point, Sampson is nothing more than a low-upside speculative handcuff. You don’t absolutely have to drop him because there is a plausible path to upside. But if you need the roster spot, he can go.
Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered: 51%
One week after not knowing the rules of football directly led to the opposing team scoring a free touchdown on a muffed kick return, Kaleb Johnson didn’t play a snap, not even on special teams.
Jaylen Warren’s grip on the lead-back role continues to increase. He is looking like one of the best picks in fantasy. Meanwhile, Kenneth Gainwell is solidified in his change-of-pace role. There is no role for the third-round rookie and not even an inkling of that changing.
Tank Bigsby, Philadelphia Eagles
Rostered: 42%
Another carryover from last week, Tank Bigsby’s trade to the Philadelphia Eagles erased all of his fantasy value. There is no speculative hold here. Bigsby went from part of a three-man rotation in Jacksonville to purely a special teamer in Philly.
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Bigsby has yet to play an offensive snap as an Eagle, and there is no realistic path to playing time. He is behind AJ Dillon, Will Shipley, and Saquon Barkley. That player does not need to be on the roster.
Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
Rostered: 34%
It was a brutal week for injuries. Watching this game live, everyone knew immediately that Najee Harris’ season was over the second he went down.
Harris crumbled to the ground without being contacted. The whole world knew it was a torn Achilles, which was confirmed after the game. His season is over.
Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills
Rostered: 21%
Last year, James Cook missed one game. Ray Davis filled in for Cook and established himself as one of the league’s best backups. He came into this season in what we thought was the same role. If Cook goes down, Davis will be the feature back and capable of producing almost 100% of the starter’s efforts. After three weeks, it’s impossible to feel the same as we did in August.
Davis played all of four snaps last week and did not touch the ball. He’s firmly behind Ty Johnson on the depth chart to the point that Johnson appears to be the more likely beneficiary of a Cook injury than Davis. With nothing even close to resembling standalone value, the sophomore running back does not need to be rostered.
